George jseneke



FIPTQOQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BENEKE, OF SOUTIIIOIt'l, ENGLAND.

PECIFICATI N forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,316, dated August 2,1898.

Applicationfiled December 24, 1897- T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Gnonen llnxlnu'a, of Southport, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Mannfaetu re ofExplosive Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

Various explosive compounds have already been invented in which nitrateof ammonium and bodies of a resinous or hydrocarbon nature have beenemployed, sometimes with the addition of oxidizing materials, such aschromate or bichromate of sodium or potassium. Now my invention consistsin the incorporation with nitrate of ammonium and a resinous body, withor without an oxidizing material, such as an alkaline ehromate orbichromate, of sodium or potassium carbonate or bicarbonate.

My invention also includes a particular method of incorporating thealkaline carbonate or bicarbonate into the mixture in order to preventincrease in the hygroscopicity of the mixture, which would otherwise beliable to become hygroscopic to such an extent as to liquefy and becomeunfit for use. The novel method of incorporating the alkaline carbonateor bicarbonate is to mix it with the resin when the latter is in amelted or liquid or semiliquid state, prior to the incorporation of theresin with the ammonium nitrate. When sodium or potassium chromate orbichromatc is to constitute one of the ingredients of the explosivecompound, it is also similarly incorporated with the resin prior to theincorporation of the resin with the ammonium nitrate.

The manner in which I may carry the invention into effect is as follows:I melt five parts of resin, taking care that the temperature is notraised much above the meltingpoint of the resin, and when reduced to afluid state I stir into it two and one-half parts ofpotassium'fbiehromate (or its equivalent quantity of potassium chromateor sodium chromate or bichromate) and three-fourths part of sodiumcarbonate (or the equivalent weight of sodium bicarbonate, potassiumearbonate, or potassium bicarbonate.) I do not confine myself to theseproportions and may increase the proportion of potassium bichromate toabout three and three-fourths parts and the proportion of the sodiumcarbonate Serial No. 663,433. (No specimens.)

to one and one-half parts; but I prefer to keep within these limits. Themixture is maintained just above the melting-point of the resin andconstantly stirred until the ingredients have been uniformly mixed, whenthe melt will present a dull-yellow color aeeording to the quality ofresin employed. The mixture should not, however, become green and dark,which is a sign of overheating. The mixture is then allowed to cool andground to an extremely-fine powder,

which its extremely-brittle character and absence of hygroscopicproperties renders very easy. To eight or ten parts of this powder Ithen add about ninety or ninety-two partsjof ammonium nitrate, whichmust have been previously dried, ground to an extremely fine powder, andagain heated for about two hours at a temperature of 109 eentigrade todrive off the last traces of moisture. The mixture of the resinouspowder should be made in a revolving drum with the ammonium nitratedirect as it comes from the drying-oven and while still hot. In thiswaya more uniform mixture and better aggregation of the particles of theingredients is eifeeted, while in order to insure the absence ofmoisture it is preferable before packing the explosive or making up intocartridges to again heat the powder in a steam-jacket to centigrade, atemperature insuiliciently high to melt the resin or render it sticky. Iq The explosive manufactured as described above should be hermeticallyclosed in eartridges or otherwise. It is specially suitable for blastingrock and stone in coal-mines,v

where coal-dust and pit-gas abound. I It will not ignite them and is amost powerful explosive and quick in its action.

Then the sodium or potassium chromate or bichromate is not to constituteone of the ingredients of the explosive compound, I may carry theinvention into eflect as follows: I melt one to one and one-half partsofresimand then I stir into it one to one and' one-half parts offinely-powdered icaronate, (or an equivalent quanti't sodium carbonateor of potassium carbonate or bicarbonate.) I let the mixture cool andthen grind it into a fine powder. I mix this intimately with five orfour parts of resin ground to an extremely-fine powder. I add thismixturein a 'of finely-powdered ammonium nitrate, the

latter having been previously heated to about 100 'centigrade, and whilestill hot I intimately mix. The explosive compound thus made is slowerin action than that in which the chromate or bichromatc is present.

\Vhencver hereinafter the expression chromate is used, it will beunderstood to include either chromate or a bichromate, and whenever theterm carbonate is hereinafter used it will be understood to signifyeither a carbonate or a bicarbonate.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The process of manufacture of explosive compounds in which ammoniumnitrate, resin, an oxidizing material (such as alkaline cllr'amatel n mlan alkaline carbonate, are employed, which consists in incorporating thealkaline carbonate and the oxidizing material with the resin when thelatter is in a liquid state,then allowing the thereby-obtained mixtureto cool, then reducing it to powder, and then incorporating it with theammonium nitrate.

:2. The process of manufacture of explosive compounds in which ammoniumnitrate, resin and an alkaline carbonate are employed, which consists inincorporating the alkaline carbonate with the resin when the latter isin a liquid state, then' allowing the thereby-obtained mixture to cool,then reducing it-to powder and then incorporating it with the ammoniumnitrate.

3. An explosive compound consisting of the following substancesincorporated together in approximately the proportions stated, namelyammonium nitrate, aresin, an oxidizing material and an alkalinecarbonate.

4. An explosive compound consisting of the following substancesincorporated together in approximately the proportions stated, namelyammonium nitrate; a resin and an alkaline carbonate 7 In' witnesswhereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEORGE llENEKF.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM PIERCE, SAMUEL MOCREADY.

